The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it has imposed visa bans on former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, his vice president Jorge Glas, and their immediate family members due to corruption allegations.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that Correa and Glas “abused their positions as former president of Ecuador and former vice president of Ecuador, respectively, by accepting bribes, including through political contributions, in exchange for granting favorable government contracts.”
The visa restrictions extend to the former leaders’ spouses and children, effectively barring them from entering the United States. This move aligns with the Biden administration’s efforts to combat corruption globally and support transparency in governance.
Correa, who served as Ecuador’s president from 2007 to 2017, has been living in exile in Belgium since 2017. In 2020, he was convicted in absentia on corruption charges in Ecuador and sentenced to eight years in prison. During his presidency, Correa often adopted political positions that conflicted with U.S. policies, notably granting asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador’s London embassy while Assange was wanted by the United States.
Miller emphasized the United States’ support for Ecuadorians committed to increasing government transparency and holding corrupt public officials accountable, including civil society members, law enforcement, and investigative journalists.
